Moonlight: Jemima's Story
by Meda the Practical Cat
Summary: Nothing in her childhood could prepare her for what she would face. This is Jemima's life story, from beginning to end.
1. Chapter 1

It was midnight. The moon shined brightly through the crack of the tunnel inside the trash. Anyone within three feet of the narrow entrance could hear the commotion from inside. Yet, the area was completely empty, and the only noise was coming from the burrow. Describing the events taking place inside would make me quite uncomfortable, so I will skim over what I can.

The noise made it very clear it was a painful experience for the female voice. Someone was yelling instructions, but not angrily. The voice was raised so that the message could be heard. Five minutes later, a gold Queen was excited to see the faces of her six newborn kittens. Her mates eagerly holded her hand, quite excited about the addition. They were approached by an orange tabby, whose face was damp with tears as she held a small kitten tight. "Out of the six, only one is still with us."

The golden Queen started to sob hysterically. "Five of them gone! Its his fault! It must be! Did he use his magic to sabotage me?" Her voice was grief stricken.

"Dem, why would he do that? They are his kittens after all," her mate tried to calm her down.

"He wants me to feel pain! He doesn't care about his kittens! He is angry I ran away!" Tears rolled from her eyes. "Oh Munkustrap, five kittens are dead now! And I don't understand why. Was I the problem? Or was it him?"

"Demeter, you should be thankful for your new kitten. I'm here to protect. As your mate, I promise I will help you raise this kitten. And together we can be a family, and forget all about him," Munkustrap's voice was soothing as he stroked the distraught Queen.

"Oh Munkustrap, what did I ever do to deserve a wonderful Tom like you. I consider myself quite lucky."

"I am the lucky one," he kissed her paw gently.

"But this kitten," Demeter started with a serious tone. "We must wait until it is older to tell it who its father is and what he had done to me. A kitten should never have such worries."

Munkustrap nodded, "I agree. No need to fill a kitten's mind with such wretched thoughts."

The orange tabby watched this whole conversation holding the young kitten. She smiled and cried for them at the same time. Their story lifted her heart and broke it. She did not want to disrupt their conversation, but the hungry kitten began to wail. "Would you like to hold your new daughter?" she asked them with a squeal of delight.

"Of course," Demeter responded, and the tabby set the kitten down on her mother. "Thank you for everything, Jenny."

"It's my pleasure. I do enjoy uniting Queen and her kitten for the first time." Jenny smiled at the new family. "I'll give you some privacy." Jenny turned and left in a very graceful movement. Her mannerisms were perfect, and her posture was incredible.

"What are you going to name her?" Munkustrap asked with a smile.

"She will be your daughter too," Demeter shook her head, but with a grin. "You should have a say."

"What about Gemma?" Munkustrap suggested gently.

"What about Jemima!" Demeter's eyes went wide.

"That's perfect! Jemima it is!" Munkustrap said excitedly.

The couple looked down at the kitten. She had a white face and a white patch on her chest. The rest of her fur was black except for beautiful tufts of red. Her unopened eyes were big, and she was beautiful. "She will be the most beautiful Queen to ever be a member of our tribe." Demeter said excitedly.

"So she'll be just like you?" Munkustrap put his hand on her shoulder. He smiled down at the kitten.

Just then, a ball rolled into their den. It was being chased by a young kitten of five weeks. "Oops! Sorry!" He apologized to the couple as he snatched his ball.

"It's quite alright," Demeter said. She was very fond of the child. When she was pregnant, she watched him and his mother, Jellyorum, so she would be prepared for her own litter. To Demeter he stood out from his littermates, for his mischievous yet caring personality. "Would you like to meet my new kitten?"

"Sure," Pouncival said excitedly. "Is it a boy or girl?" He peered down at the little kitten that was resting on Demeter's stomach.

"Girl. Her name is Jemima," Demeter smiled at the young boy.

"She's kind of funny looking isn't she? And really small." Pouncival cocked one head to the side and looked at the young kitten.

Demeter laughed. "She's a newborn!" Once her laughter calmed down, she answered his second statement. "She was the runt, you see."

Munkustrap stood by, smiling at them. Pouncival was a nice kitten, and he was glad Jemima would grow up with kittens that would become gentlemen and kind Toms.

"What about her littermates?" asked Pouncival, to naive to realize how that question could have a dismal answer.

"She's the only one. The rest didn't make it," Munkustrap cut in, so that Demeter did not have to answer that question.

Pouncival looked down at her sadly. Jemima would be an attractive Queen some day, he decided.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for reading my next chapter! I am really excited about this story! I can't wait yo share with you all the things I have up my sleeves. Please leave constructive reviews. Don't tell me my story is horrible, tell me why its horrible. I would love to hear from you.**

 **Cats belongs to Lord Andrew Lloyd Weber and T.S. Elliot. I only own my storyline, but please don't copy**

Pouncival completely forgot about the new kitten for the next few weeks. He was very busy playing with the other kittens. The competitive kitten was always happy to beat his littermates, Tumblebrutus and Electra, at everything he could. His mother, Jellylorum, sat off to the side, watching the kittens play. His father, Skimbleshanks, was at work, though Pouncival wasn't sure what his Father's job was. He knew his father worked for the railway, but what exactly did he do?

It was four weeks after the birth of Jemima, and the kittens were playing ball. "So the goal of this game is to get the ball in the bucket. Any questions?" Plato asked them, trying to explain his latest game. He was always creating new games for the kittens to play. He loved to boss all the other kittens around.

"Do we have to play? It's so boring!" His littermate Etcetera whined.

"Bossy much, Plato," Tumblebrutus said. "And Ceti, let's give the game a shot." Tumblebrutus was used to being the pacifist between Plato and his sister. Yet, Tumblebrutus commonly argued with his brother Pouncival.

Emerging from their little den was Demeter and Jemima. Jemima, at a month old, was rather wobbly as she walked. Her head was so out of proportion with the rest of her. Demeter nudged the young kitten to go and join in the fun. It was her first time out of the den, and Demeter wanted Jemima to start playing with the other kittens. Demeter went and joined Jellylorum. Jemima approached the kittens. "Can I play?" Her voice was high and squeaky.

"No way! You're way too small and you can hardly stand," Plato exclaimed.

"You're so rude," a beautiful white cat named Victoria said. Plato rolled his eyes, yet the annoyance wasn't genuine. Plato had a big crush on Victoria, and was hoping to mate with her at the Jellicle Ball.

"Leave her alone!" Pouncival responded. "I'm sure you were just as small." He turned to Jemima. "You can play with us. I'm Pouncival."

"Seriously Pouncival. What is she, your girlfriend?" Plato rolled his eyes, and Pouncival blushed.

"Ignore him," the white cat said. "My name is Victoria!"

A white cat that had brown stripes down her body jumped in front of Jemima. "Hi new friend! I'm Etcetera! But everyone calls me Ceti!" Jemima giggled at the hyper cat.

Pouncival smiled. "So the rude cat is Plato. And the brown girl is Electra, but we all all her Flick."

"Flick?" asked Jemima. "How did she get that nickname? It sounds nothing Electra."

Tumblebrutus cut in, "Because one time, we were fighting and she flicked me in the head. We wrestle a lot."

"The annoying one is Tumblebrutus," Pouncival said.

"And what's your name?" Victoria asked with a warm smile. She was very good with young kittens.

"Jemima," the black kitten said quietly,

"Well Jemima, welcome to our little club. Can I call you Jemmy?" Victoria smiled again.

"Sure!" Jemima was really happy that they accepted her, and didn't really care what they called her. "How do you play?"

They began to explain the rules to her.

A few hours later, the boys and girls separated so they could have girl time with Jemima. Plato's game was a lot of fun, and Jemima enjoyed it despite her lack of skill. She was the least athletic one there. Etcetera was on Jemima's team, along with Pouncival and Victoria. Etcetera was very competitive, and she and Plato had a strong rivalry. Jemima was excited to get to talk to the girls as they gathered on top of the pile of garbage.

"So do you like any of the Toms?" was the first thing out of Etcetera's mouth.

"Uhmmm," Jemima didn't want to answer. She didn't think she liked any of them, but she wasn't sure.

"Isn't she kind of young for that?" asked Victoria. Etcetera chose to ignore her.

"You haven't met the Rum Tum Tugger yet!" Etcetera exclaimed. "You have to meet him! Let's go! He's normally by the toilet at this time."

Etcetera began to lead them away, but stopped when she heard the boys talking. "I think they're talking about you, Jemmy!" The female kittens began to eavesdrop.

"So where is your girlfriend, Pouncival?" asked Plato. Tumblebrutus stood off to the side, playing with a fake mouse.

"My-my girlfriend?" Pouncival responded, obviously confused.

"The little runt!" exclaimed Plato. "Since you're so obviously in love with her."

"I'm not in love with her," Pouncival defended. "I just feel bad for the awkward little runt. Nah, she's so ugly and she is so bad at playing ball."

Jemima turned away, her eyes flowing with tears . "It's okay, boys are stupid anyways," Electra tried to comfort her.

Jemima wiped away the tears. "I'm fine. Let's go meet the Rum Tug Tugger!"

Victoria was still worried about Jemima, but a visit to the Rum Tug Tugger might cheer her up. "Lead the way Cetti!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for getting to chapter 3! It took me a while to write this, but it is very eventful. Anyways, please Review, and tell me what you think and predict what will happen. (I have a few tricks up my sleeve.) Thanks to Kycklingk for the review! I do love the awkwardness of teenagers, and I hope to combine that with awkwardness of children, creating very awkward kittens. It will make it more realistic.**

 **And I have a new idea for a Jemistoffolees story, and I hope to get the first chapter of that up soon. (Two stories at once; kinda scary.)**

Etcetera excitedly led the way through the labyrinth of the junkyard. She leaped from garbage pile to garbage pile, talking a mile a minute. The other kittens remained silent, dismal because of Pouncival's confession. Etcetera didn't seem to understand the melancholy mood as she spoke. "The Rum Tum Tugger is the most handsome Tom ever. I always faint when I see him. He's so cool and attractive. All of us agree that being his mate would be the best!"

Jemima wasn't really listening as Etcetera tried to explain who the Rum Tum Tugger was to the youngest kitten. They eventually reached a human toilet. Sitting on it was a tall cat with a large mane. He was all black, except for the leopard spots on his chest and his brown face. Jemima stood behind Victoria shyly. Etcetera and Electra jumped up and sat next to him. What surprised Jemima was that he was not just a Tom, but an adolescent kitten, only a little older than Plato. Yet his lack of age was made up for by his attractiveness. He was sleek and cool, but also very handsome. He looked down at Jemima. "Who's this?"

Jemima blushed, her shyness so obvious. Sure, she was nervous around the other kittens, but he was really intimidating. The young kitten felt so relieved when Victoria answered for her. "That's Jemima."

"Ahh. Straight-lace's kid." He knew who she was?

It became very clear to Jemima that he liked to act like an adult even though he wasn't really one. She began to wonder if this is what he was really like, or if was just an act to make him look cool. Jemima heard Victoria whisper to him, "She's really shy."

The Rum Tum Tugger nodded, realizing he would have to be the one speaking in this conversation. "Cool. I'm the Rum Tum Tugger, but everyone pretty much calls me Tugger."

"Well I'm Jemima!"

"I know. Vic just said it." Jemima blushed at his words in embarrassment.

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry!" Tugger felt a pang of guilt for making her feel bad. "So uhmmm, is this your first time outside of your den?"

"Mhmm," Jemima nodded. "It's exciting but also kind of scary since this place is so big."

"You'll get the hang of it. The hardest part is understanding the relationships between everybody. Friendship and mateship often get mixed up. But you can't mate until you're an adult anyways."

"Mate?" Jemima had heard the word before, but had no idea what it meant.

"When two cats are permanently together to have kittens. You can mate with pretty much anyone. Except your parents and siblings of course." Tugger explained. It was very obvious he was just rambling to create conversation.

"Is Etcetera always like this?" Jemima asked, looking up as the striped kitten rubbed up against the young Tom.

"Only every time she sees me," he joked.

Jemima began to laugh. He was funny and handsome, and she could see why the kittens were so obsessed with him.

"What else could one expect from such a hyper kit?" Jemima giggled. Etcetera jokingly hissed at her, which made the black kitten giggle harder. So far, she liked the other cats. They were so friendly and welcoming. That is, except for Pouncival and Plato. They managed to make her feel terrible within the first two hours she knew them.

Tugger laughed at her joke. "So are you as uptight as your dad?"

"No?" She sounded as though she were asking a question, not stating a fact. The inexperienced never viewed her father as uptight.

"That's good. He's not exactly the life of a party."

"Hey!" She felt the need to defend her Father.

"What? Aren't brothers supposed to tease each other?" Jemima gasped. Her father was his brother?

"Wow. Really?" Jemima asked.

"Yup. Poor Straight-lace has to deal with being the lame brother." Jemima began to giggle as he spoke. She really liked this Tom. Did she have a crush on him? Jemima tried to figure out what she felt.

Etcetera was getting jealous. Why was he giving Jemima so much attention? The striped kitten still existed! "We should go back," she stated, not providing an explanation on how she came to this conclusion. Victoria gave her a strange look. It was unlike Etcetera to want to leave Tugger.

"Ok?" she said slowly. "Let's head back guys." The white kitten turned and everyone followed behind her. The group strolled back to their normal section of the Yard. "Jemima, I think he likes you." Victoria spoke just to make conversation.

"Not really," Etcetera muttered.

"Cettie!" Victoria scolded. "You're being kind of selfish!"

"Phooey!" The striped cat stuck her tongue out at Victoria, whose jaw dropped on shock. Electra pounced on top of Etcetera.

"Show respect to Victoria!" Electra exclaimed. For the most part, all the kittens looked up to Victoria, the oldest member of their group.

"C'mon!" Jemima said. "You're acting like Pollicles!" Etcetera was very offended, and before she knew it, Jemima was pinned down by both of the kittens.

"Guys! Let's stop wasting time," Victoria said in between giggles. "Cettie, your mother would not approve." All three dropped the nonsense at the mention of Jennyanydots. Victoria led them to the main yard, where the boys were playing.

"Where you guys been?" Tumblebrutus yelled towards them.

"With Tugger!" Etcetera enthusiastically called back.

"He always gets the girls!" Tumblebrutus muttered.

"Seriously sis?" Plato asked. He didn't approve of the way Tugger acted towards his sister, but there was nothing the small kit could do about that. Etcetera rolled her eyes at her overprotective brother.

"Wanna play with us?" Pouncival leaped in front of the girls.

"No," Jemima said, and the jumped on top of the car that sat off to the side.

"Can't," Victoria said, and Electra followed her example by nodding.

"I will!" Etcetera yelled, and was nudged by Victoria. "Correction; no I can't!"

The three kittens joined Jemima on top of the car. "Why not?" asked Pouncival.

"Because you said mean things about Jemima!" Victoria answered.

"You heard that?" asked Pouncival. "I didn't think you were listening." Jemima frowned, and held back tears. The first Tom she met was so rude! "Jemima, can I talk to you alone?"

"No!" Jemima snapped with fake anger. She was not angry, but sad.

"Please?" Pouncival pleaded.

"Fine!" she yelled and leaped down to join him. He led her out of sight. Once they were out of earshot, he placed a paw on Jemima's shoulder.

"Jemima, I did not mean those things. Plato is really mean to me, and I didn't want him to make fun of me." He tried to explain.

"So you called me an ugly runt, so you didn't get teased about liking me!" Jemima couldn't hold the tears back anymore.

"I really regret saying that. Please Jemima, they're not true." He stared at her for a moment, and she began to think he might kiss her. Would this be her first kiss? Butterflies gathered in her stomach as she thought of how this might end.

She felt a pang of sadness when he stepped back. "Can you forgive me?"

Say no! A voice in her head told her. But she knew that would be a lie. Jemima was very forgiving. As soon as she opened her mouth, she regretted what she was about to say. "Yes."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 is out! Its my longest chapter yet. If you like it please follow, and review whether you like it or not. I can use as much feeback as I can get. Any suggestions or writing advice for the future will be used.**

 **Jem and Misto chapter 1 is out, so I encourage you to check it out. Ch 1 is kind of short, but its just the intro. I hope you like it, since I'm very proud of it.**

 **Finally, thanks to Kycklingk. Your support means a lot to me!**

The next few weeks were a mix of playing games, and swooning over the Rum Tum Tugger. Jemima completely forgave Pouncival for what he said. He was so nice, and it became clear he never mant it. The kittens soon realized the Jellicle Ball was approaching. Victoria and Plato were chose as the coming of age kittens. That meant that Victoria got to dance the Invitation to the Jellicle Ball, and Plato and the partner of his choice would lead the mating dance. Jemima was very excited about the special occasion. Finally, the time for the Ball came.

It seemed to fly by. The unconventional Ball had one surprise that stood out to Jemima. As Plato danced the mating dance, Jemima felt something touch her shoulder. She turned to face Tumblebrutus, who smiled shyly. Jemima grinned back as they continued with the mating dance.

Jemima felt giddy the next day. She danced the mating dance! A Tom wants to Mate with her! She leaped out to the main yard to speak with her friends. "Guess what! Guess what!" she yelled to the girls.

They hadn't had a chance to speak since before the Ball. Jemima wasn't exactly sure if she was in love with him, but the kitten was excited that a Tom liked her. In fact, she didn't feel like a kitten. Jemima felt like a young Queen. Her heart pumped excitedly as the other "young Queens" joined her.

"Quaxo and I decided to be mates!" Electra blurted out. All of the other girls gasped. "But don't tell anyone! We're keeping it a secret for now."

All of the "young Queens" nodded, and turned to Jemima to hear her news. "I did the Mating Dance with Tumblebrutus!

"Wow!" Victoria smiled at the younger cat.

"Does this mean we're mates?" she asked excitedly.

"I don't know, I suppose you have to ask him," Victoria advised.

"There he is!" Etcetera whispered, though she spoke so loudly it was hardly a whisper.

Jemima turned around and was face to face with Tumblebrutus. "Umm, Jemima, can we talk?" He asked. The Black Queen nodded, and Tumblebrutus led her around a corner. They were separated from the other cats, and Jemima felt quite relieved by the privacy. She turned to face the Tom.

"Hey Tumble!"

"Hi Jemima. Can we talk about the Ball?" His voice trailed off at the end.

"Umm, sure." Jemima spoke nervously. She really didn't have much to say, and was quite surprised when she blurted something out. "Are we mates now?"

"I don't think so," Tumblebrutus said.

"Is that a good thing?" asked Jemima. She was really nervous. He didn't seem so friendly and happy right now.

"Yeah," he spoke barely louder than a whisper. "Tugger seems to have a soft spot for you. I was afraid he was going to want to mate with you. You're a nice girl, and it would be a shame if you mated with a Tom like Tugger."

By trying to protect her from the heartbreaker, Tumblebrutus managed to break her heart. His noble action stung, but she couldn't let him see. "I-I-I see," she managed to say, feeling sick to her stomach.

"Well, I like Etcetera," Tumblebrutus said nervously.

"You two would make a great couple," she forced out.

"And I'm not supposed to tell you this," Tumblebrutus started slowly, "but you deserve to know. Pouncival likes you. That's why he was so awkward. He was afraid to mate with you, but he didn't want Tugger to make his move first." That made Jemima smile. It felt good to be liked by a Tom. Especially since she always secretly liked Pouncival more. Her heart was soaring again, but this time, she liked her admirer back.

They went and rejoined the rest of the kittens to play their daily games. "Who wants to be a Captain?" asked Victoria.

"Me and Plato!" yelled Etcetera.

"You guys are always captains!" Electra butt in.

"What about Jemima and Tumblebrutus?" suggested Victoria. Everyone nodded. All of the kittens viewed Victoria as a goddess.

Jemima and Tumblebrutus stepped forward. Jemima was a little nervous, as it was her first time as Captain. "Ladies first!" Tumblebrutus said.

Jemima looked over the group lined up in front of her. The answer was clear. "Pouncival," she said. It was hard to say it so calmly when she wanted to yell excitedly. Plato was installing furious that he wasn't first pick. He glared at Jemima angrily.

"Etcetera." Jemima glanced over at Tumblebrutus. She was surprised, though she didn't understand why. It seemed like he thought it was time to start courting the kitten. Jemima was happy for him.

"And I guess I'll take Plato." Yes he was rude, but he was also good at sports. He and Etcetera were the best by far.

"Then I'll take Electra. So Vic can go with Jemima."

Victoria didn't mind be last pick. Sure, she was good at their games, but she was the best dancer. Jemima was very glad to be on her best friend's team.

A few hours later, Tumblebrutus asked to speak to Etcetera alone. They walked away from the group, and Electra and Plato followed them. Plato was not thrilled that his sister would be alone with a Tom, and he wanted to supervise. Victoria chased after Electra to convince her to respect Tumblebrutus's wish to be alone.

That left Jemima and Pouncival. Their mothers sat off to the side, barely supervising the kits. "Can we talk?" Pouncival asked nervously. Jemima nodded, and Pouncival led her away. They were soon out of sight and earshot before he spoke. "Tumblebrutus told you?" he asked.

"Yeah. How do you know he told me?"

"He felt guilty and confessed," Pouncival sighed.

"Ohh," Jemima wasn't sure what to say.

"So how do you feel about that?" Pouncival finally got to what he wanted to ask.

"Well, I feel kind of happy," Jemima started. "No kind of happy, I feel really happy. You are my first crush. You are-"

She was cut off by a kiss. So this was the first kiss she had thought about since she first met him. He was now her pre-mate, the cat equivalent of a boyfriend. Afterwards, Jemima was frozen in shock. Pouncival immediately felt guilty. "Oh! I'm sorry!"

"It-it's ok." Jemuma nodded nervously and let out a smile. "More than ok. Amazing."

Pouncival smiled with relief. "Good."

"Should we tell everyone?" asked Jemima.

"Nah," said Pouncival. "Let's make it out secret." A secret romance! How exciting! As they walked back, Jemima blushed and beamed. It seemed they were the last ones to return. Everyone's anxious faces melted into relief when they saw the pair. Tumblebrutus flashed them a knowing smile.

"Where were you guys?" asked Victoria.

"We thought the ball rolled over there," Pouncival lied. "We were looking for it."

"Mhmm," Tumblebrutus raised his eyebrows. Pouncival flashed him a look that told him drop it.

Etcetera leaped up to Jemima. "Tumble is now my pre-mate!" Plato looked really angrily at Tumblebrutus. He looked ready to attack the young Tom.

"That's great Cettie!" Jemima's smile was genuine. A few hours ago, she would have been jealous, but now Pouncival was all she could focus on.

Demeter stood up, halting her conversation with Jenny and Jellylorum. "Jemima, your father and I need to speak to you." Jemima knew what that meant.

"Bye guys!" She turned and strolled to her den, followed by a chorus of "Bye Jemima". Jemima crawled through the cave nestled in the trash, and found that her mother had beat her home. She stood by Munkustrap smiling down at her daughter.

"Jemima, dearest, we didn't want to tell you this until you are older," Demeter spoke so slowly that Jemima's emotion flooded with concern.

"Well, with all the Macavity business at the ball," Munkustrap started another one of his speech. The story was too painful for Demeter to tell. "Macavity used to be a member of our tribe. He was my brother." Jemima gasped. They were saying Macavity was her father's brother! "There's more. And well, he went evil. He left the tribe to form a group that just causes pain. He wouldn't hesitate to kill. And I'm sorry for what I am about to say.

"Macavity was always in love with a beautiful Queen. He kidnapped her. Her sister and the Tom who loved went to rescue her, but it took them a month to find her. When they found her, they were horrified to see she was completely broken. They managed to get her home. It hurt them so much to see her in such poor shape. They swore to always protect her." Jemima noticed her mother was crying, and she couldn't deny her damp eyes. "Though she never fully recovered, she is better than she was. A few months later she gave birth to six kittens. All stillborn except for one. By the coloration, it was clear that the child was Macavity's. Do you understand Jemima?"

She wished she didn't understand. She wished she didn't know. Jemima nodded before turning and sprinting out. "Give her time to think," Munkustrap stopped Demeter from going after her.

Jemima sprinted past the other kittens, tears pouring from her eyes. She ran a bit farther, to where she thought she was alone. Yet, two kittens followed her. When Jemima stopped and fell to the ground, two kittens rushed to her side. "What is it?" Victoria asked. Pouncival stared at Jemima with such concern, Victoria soon figured out that her companions were in a relationship.

Jemima sobbed. "He's my father! Macavity is my father!"


	5. Chapter 5

**I can't believe it's chapter 5 of my first fanfiction! I'm very excited to share this, and I apologize for the wait. Real life comes first. This starts where the other leaves off. (Quick recap: Jemima finds out Macavity is her father, and quickly tells Victoria and Pouncival.) This chapter focuses more on Jemima and Victoria's friendship, and a lot happens in it. I hope you enjoy it! I plan on updating my Misto/Jemi story soon.**

 **Please review so I can have feedback on what is good and what is bad.**

Victoria stared at her with such confusion, that Jemima began to sob harder. The white cat slowly began to grasp the meaning of Jemima's words. She wanted to question Jemima on the situation, but decided that wouldn't be best. She quickly masked her feeling of shock with a calming and motherly look. Hopefully, she would be able to comfort the distraught young kitten. Victoria looked over at Pouncival, who was unable to hide his surprise. He would be no use in comforting Jemima. He was not very good at socializing. "But that doesn't change who you are," Victoria could finally muster words to comfort the girl. Poor Jemima.

The wide eyed kitten looked up at the taller adolescent. "But da-da-doesn't it? It changes e-everything. I'm n-not a-a Jellicle, because Munkustrap isn't really my fa-father!" Tears were pouring at of Jemima's eyes, and Victoria wiped them off with her tail.

"Munkustrap raised you,"' Victoria explained. "That makes him more of a father than Macavity will ever be. Besides, your parentage doesn't affect you. Sure, you might resemble Macavity, but you are not like him. Knowing this does not change anything." Jemima hopefully stared up at her, and Victoria was proud of herself for easing the kit a little. Pouncival looked extremely uncomfortable, and Victoria gave him a look. He quickly understood what she wanted him to do, and gave Jemima a short hug.

"I need to think," Jemima turned and began to walk away. Victoria stepped forward to follow her. Hearing the white adolescent's footsteps, Jemima turned back and added, "Alone." Victoria wanted to follow the black kitten but understood. Jemima was very contemplative, and would want to think about this alone. The two youngsters watched Jemi walk away, and none of the three could grasp the situation. Victoria began to wonder why Pouncival chose to tell her now. It was odd. There must be something going on that was unaware to the kittens.

Jemima was gone for the rest of that day, but she rejoined the kittens in their play the following morning. Etcetera and Electra swarmed around her, asking her where she was, but Jemima didn't want everyone to know her secret. "I fell," Jemima used a short and simple explanation. Falling was not an uncommon thing for the short kitten to experience.

"Clumsy Pollicle!" Plato sneered at her. He had never liked Jemima, and tried to embarrass her at every opportunity. Electra gasped when he said "pollicle." She had never heard such horrible language before. "Falling on the ground. And a little kitten for not being able to deal with it!"

"Leave her alone!" Victoria was the only one he would listen too, as they planned on becoming mates when they were old enough. "You are so mean to her, and besides, she is a little kitten!" Jemima stared at the ground. She hated being called a little kitten. It sounded so demeaning, as though she could handle the world. Plus, being the youngest was very hard, and she was almost alienated because of it.

"I'm telling Mom about this!" Their mother, Jennyanydots, would not stand for her son calling a young Queen a nasty name such as "pollicle." Plato promptly stuck his tongue out as his sister, to show he didn't care. Etcetera responded with a meek shrug.

Victoria strolled up to the other girls, and they formed a circle to talk. "Have you heard? Cassie's expecting a litter." Cassandra was the mate of Victoria's cousin, Alonzo, so she was well-informed.

"Really?" asked Etcetera. "But she was so proud of her pure breeding, she would never have kittens with someone of mixed breeds like Alonzo!" Victoria merely shrugged.

"I think I'm almost old enough to be an adult!" Victoria exclaimed. "My parents were discussing my future as a Queen with me. They want me to find a place to live, and begin to think about mating. Little do they know that I already picked someone out." Victoria seemed so excited, but this scared Jemima. She didn't want to lose her best friend to adulthood. Jemima was too young to be an adult, and she was scared that the other kittens would leave her behind. The very thought made her stare at Victoria with intensity, but the older adolescent barely seemed to notice Jemima's expression.

The next day, Victoria trudged out to the kittens' play area. Jemima wondered what could be wrong with her best friend. All the other kittens were already there, making it the first time that Victoria didn't beat them all to the play area. The girls swarmed around Victoria, separating her from their male counterparts, who were play fighting. Jemima reached out to her friend. "What is it?"

Jemima noticed a shine in Victoria's eye. Was she about to cry? Jemima engulfed her friend in a hug before she had a chance to answer the question. When she realized, Victoria opened her mouth to answer. "I'm not allowed to play. My parents are saying I'm too old to partake in kittenish activities," Victoria began to sob. The boys looked over at her. Plato stood up to approach his pre-mate, but Pouncival held him back. This was probably a girl thing.

Jemi stared up at her in horror. She was losing her best friend. Victoria was losing her kittenhood. Could it get any worse? "And they told me who I should mate with," Victoria added. "Only Quaxo reaches their standards. They say he's a proper Tom with good breeding. But I don't want to mate with him!" Electra's face flooded with offense. Quaxo was Electra's Tom. How dare Victoria's parents! "And I told them he loved someone else. They brushed it off as nonsense. 'How could anyone not be in love with you?'" Victoria mimicked them as a tear rolled down her white face.

Jemima shuddered. Victoria's parents were known to be snobby. They refused to attend the Jellicle Ball, as they heard that Grizabella might be there. Jemi realized how lucky she was to have supportive and kind parents like Munkustrap and Demeter. "That is horrible Vic," Jemi rested her hand on the white cat's back.

"But Quaxo and I are…." Electra whined. At the moment, she hated Victoria's parents.

"Whatcha gonna do?" Etcetera piped in. She had never been silent for so long, and she was desperate to speak.

Victoria shrugged, unsure of the answer to the question. An idea hit her, and eyes lit up. "I don't care what they say. I love Plato, not Quaxo and they said I am an adult. I don't have to listen. Plato will be my mate, no matter what they say." The other kittens stared up at her in shock. This big act of rebellion was unlike Victoria. They were even more shocked when she ran to Plato, grabbed his arm, and pulled him away.

It soon became clear to Jemima that this was the end of her friendship with Vic as a kitten. Vic was an adult, and would hang out with the other Queens. Jemima wouldn't really hang out with her until she hit adulthood. Jemi sighed. She already felt lonely. Her best friend was gone, ripped away from her by adulthood.

The next day, Victoria and Plato were not present at the kittens' play time. Jemi tried to hang out with Electra and Etcetera, but she felt alienated between the two best friends. After a few hours of games, Jemi decided she wanted to be alone, away from the kittens. She managed to slip away without them noticing her absence. It was kind of painful that they didn't realize she was gone. At the same time, Jemima was relieved that she could escape. Jemi took refuge on the old car. It was her sacred place, where she would often go to watch the moon. She began to fall asleep when she was disturbed. Jemima didn't notice that Victoria was perched next to her.

"Guess what Jemi!" Victoria squealed. Jemima jumped in shock. "Sorry," Victoria immediately apologized.

"It's fine," Jemima blushed in embarrassment. Why was she so easily startled. "What is it?"

"Plato and I are mates!" Victoria beamed in joy. "My parents were very angry when they found out. They said I betrayed them. But I don't really care. Even though they disowned me." Jemima gasped and gawked at her friend. She had never viewed Victoria as such a (dope savage) rebel. "I am happy. Plato and I moved into the oven."

Jemima wanted to be happy for her friend, but she couldn't keep the tears back. She turned away so Victoria couldn't see her cry, but the white Queen leaned over to see her friend's face. "Oh Jemi, what is it? Did I upset you?"

"You're a Queen now. That means our friendship is over," Jemima began to sob. Victoria did not object, knowing that the young kitten was right. Their friendship would be put on halt until Jemima joined her in Queenhood. "You'll become one of the older Queens who boss me around condescendingly as if they know what's best for me and treat me like I am stupid! You'll become one of those Queens that shield me as if I can't handle anything!" All of the Queens and Toms were far to overprotective of little Jemima.

"I promise, I'll never treat you like you're lesser than me because of your youth," Victoria rubbed her hands on Jemima's back. "I promise sweetie."

"Sweetie?" Jemima mumbled. "You already treated me like a kit." Jemima turned and dashed away with tears leaking out of her eyes, and Victoria went to follow her, but found herself unable to keep up with the adolescent.

Demeter found her daughter lying in a ball in their den. "What's wrong Jem?" asked the concerned mother.

"Victoria's a Queen now. She doesn't need little kittens like me to be her friend," Jemima whined.

"You'll never just be a kitten," Demeter tried to comfort her daughter. "Besides, soon you'll be a Queen like her." Jemima didn't respond.

"Can I enter?" A Tom's voice filled the room.

"Yes!" Demeter called back. Pouncival stepped into the room. "I assume you two probably need privacy." She knew Pouncival would be able to console Jemima. Demeter gave a stout nod, and left the adolescents alone. She trusted them to behave.

Pouncival had inferred the source of Jemima's sadness, and knew there was no way to comfort her through words. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her to console her. However, the moment was disturbed by Munkustrap's yelling.

"Macavity! Get to the kittens! Macavity is here! Defend the kittens at all costs!"


End file.
